Funding programme

PEACEPLUS is a funding programme designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. PEACEPLUS is the successor programme to both PEACE IV and INTERREG VA.

‍

Call overview

This call aims to enhance cross-border research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies in a manner which delivers economic regeneration and transformation.

‍

Call details

This investment area will support high level, commercially focused research, development and innovation with key Programme Area growth sectors; resulting in increased productivity and higher export levels; and sustainable employment. It will deliver major change innovation projects, which result in lasting local and national economic and social benefits.

Investment in collaborative innovation is key to the economic development of the Programme Area and beyond. Innovation leads to increased levels of productivity, which in turn deliver higher export volumes and sustainable employment.  It is important to support innovation at all levels but with a particular emphasis on Programme Area level, major change projects, which will deliver significant benefit to the Programme Area.

‍

Objective of this call            

This objective will enhance cross-border research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies in a manner which delivers economic regeneration and transformation.

It will result in higher levels of demonstrable commercially focused research, development and innovation in the Programme Area, which will deliver new products and/or processes and a correlated increase in Programme Area productivity and export levels.

‍

Eligibility

Eligible to apply are:

• National, regional and local authorities;
• Regional and local development agencies, chambers of commerce;
• Universities, colleges, higher education, research institutions;
• Non-governmental organisations (NGOs);
• Sectoral agencies and business support organisations;
• Voluntary sector organisations;
• Other relevant public-like organisations contributing to the development of the programme area;
• Private sector – specifically micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies.

Please note the above is not an exhaustive list, other bodies may be considered eligible.

‍

Programme Area

The programme area for the PEACEPLUS Programme is:

• Northern Ireland;
• The border counties of Ireland (Counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo).

This is the core programme area. The programme, however, has flexible geography beyond its administrative borders called a functional area. This allows for organisations and institutions not based in the core programme area to get involved in projects by linking with partners within the core area. The benefits of such collaborations must be significant for the core programme area.

Cross border collaboration is not strictly limited to the administrative borders of the Programme. It has a flexible geography depending on the sector involved. For some other interventions, the solution is purely local, corresponding to an area much smaller than the core Programme area.

‍

Budget

€65 million is available in this call.

Grants are available to cover 100% of the eligible costs of the project. Projects/Partners may wish to bring additional match funding into the project, applicants should seek further advice from SEUPB on this before the call closes.

‍

Support

For general queries about the call please contact the SEUPB on jems@seupb.eu